The Wedding

We are still basking in the memory of Rachel and James‘ beautiful late summer wedding .The bride was absolutely stunning, the groom looked handsome, and the best man wasn’t bad either! Jim and I were so proud and pleased that family and friends could join us for the out-of-state event.

It was an elegant affair from start to finish, planned by two 23 year olds who had never attended more than a handful of weddings themselves. The ceremony was very traditional, and although some of the ritual was new to us, we found it all beautiful and moving.

Watching my dad walk down the aisle, escorted by my brother, was really touching. In spite of Dad’s worsening dementia, he clearly enjoyed the ceremony and dinner. A smile from him is a fleeting thing these days, but the photographer managed to capture several.

A fabulous live “swing” dance band accompanied the reception. Their music even lured me and my wheelchair onto the dance floor. At the end of the evening, the bride and groom opened their wedding quilt, which I’ll share in my next post.

Happy holiday preparations to you!

Welcome!

Here I am with my “seasonal” post (meaning once a season rather than of or about the season). This autumn has been eventful for our family but also quite emotional for me. The highs and lows of it all have exacerbated my MS, requiring that I rest, reflect and recuperate more than usual.

A gentle nudge by my friend Barb (Fun with Barb) in the form of a link, has brought me out of my malaise. If you’re visiting to read about the Churn Dash project Barb and I worked on together, welcome! You can read about it HERE.

Before the vestiges of autumn are obscured by snow (flurries were predicted for Chicago today), I promise to post again. The official wedding photos just arrived and I can’t wait to share some with you.

Be back soon, for real this time!

We're Off!

We're heading off for a very special family event!

Be back soon.

Lost for Words

I think it's words that keep me from posting more often than I do. You haven't heard from me in over three months! I've gotten out of the habit of writing and even reading blogs. But a finish is a finish, well worth celebrating, sharing, and luring me back to blogland. Here's my latest quilt. I'll tell you more about it later.

Click on the photo for additional views.

April Fool

I flew to New York City this week to join my quilt friends for this extraordinary exhibit of red and white quilts.

Don't I wish. . . APRIL FOOL!

Visit my friend Barb's blog to view more of the exhibit and see the unadulterated photo of my friends enjoying the quilts.

Primrose Surprise

Chicagoland is in the throes of a “wintry mix” of weather . . .

but this basket full of springtime color reminds me that the gloom won’t last forever. My dear quilt friends brought me the primroses as a birthday gift. Aren’t the colors amazing? They just happen to match the quilt I planned to write about today.

This little signature quilt was stitched 15 years ago for a special group of friends who were turning forty. The bright colors were meant to boost our spirits as we began a new decade together.

Contrast is important when choosing fabrics for small quilts. If you look at this one in black and white, the design disappears because most of the fabrics are medium value rather than light and dark.


I created contrast instead, by setting warm colors (pink, orange, yellow) against cool colors (blue, green). You can see this best in the border where contrast creates a zigzag design. The cool colors recede into the background while the warm colors advance, creating an almost 3D effect.
'

Lordy, Lordy, We're Turning Forty!

20" x 25"

1996